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Author Chuck Palahniuk's New Novel Looks at Porn

Tod HunterMay 21, 2008 8:00 AM PDT

NEW YORK — "Fight Club" author Chuck Palahniuk's newest novel, "Snuff," which streeted Tuesday, focuses on a fictional porn performer, Cassie Wright, who plans to finish her career by shooting a 600-man gangbang. The story is told from the point of view of Mr. 72, an adoptee who may be Wright's son; Mr. 137, a has-been TV star whose participation in another gangbang — an all-male gangbang — led to his has-been status, and Mr. 600, another aging porn star who did Wright's first scene with her.

In interviews, Palahniuk has said he is familiar with the Annabel Chong "World's Biggest Gangbang" from 1995. Similarities with the "Houston 600" gangbang from 1999, which concluded with Ron Jeremy taking the anchor lap, have been noted by mainstream writer Susannah Breslin, who reported on the Houston gangbang for Playboy TV.

To help promote the book, Palahniuk shot several interviews with "Cassie Wright," which have been collected on ChuckPalahniuk.net, a fan site.

"Snuff" is published by Doubleday, a division of Random House. It is currently ranked 39 on Amazon.com's book sales list.